Rs 250 to be total cost per vax shot in pvt hosps

Apart from GHs and pvt hospitals, govt health facilities will offer vaccine; Ministry releases format for comorbidity certificate

NEW DELHI: Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 250 per dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday as India prepares to vaccinate people aged above 60 years and over 45 with comorbidities from March 1.

The ministry also specified 20 comorbidities among people aged between 45 and 59 years who will get the vaccine -- heart failure with hospital admission in past year, moderate or severe valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, CT/ MRI-documented stroke, diabetes of over 10 years or with complications, hypertension, end-stage kidney disease on haemodialysis, diagnosis of any solid cancer on or after 2000 or currently on any cancer therapy. The ministry has shared the format of the simplified one-page certificate to be signed by any registered medical practitioner. The certificate can either be uploaded on CoWIN2.0 by the beneficiary while self registering or a hard copy can be carried by the beneficiary to the CVC, it said. The ministry on Friday had said beneficiaries would be able to self-register in advance by downloading the Co-WIN 2.0 portal and through other IT applications such as Aarogya Setu, which will show the government and private hospitals serving as COVID-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) with date and time of the available schedules.The beneficiary would be able to choose the CVC of his/ her choice and book an appointment.

The vaccine will be given free of cost at government hospitals, while people will need to pay for it at private facilities. To ramp up the vaccination capacity manifold, a significantly large number of private facilities are being involved, the ministry said. “Rs 250 will be the ceiling -- Rs 150 per dose of vaccine plus Rs 100 service charge. This arrangement will remain effective till further orders,” an official source said.

In addition, there will be government health facilities which will be used as CVCs such as medical college hospitals, district hospitals, sub divisional hospitals, community health centres, primary health centres, health sub-centres and health and wellness centres.